Lake Hawea firefighters extinguished a small scrub fire near Maungawera yesterday afternoon, the latest in a spate of recent scrub fires attended to by Upper Clutha fire brigades since Wednesday last week - the worst of which threatened a Wanaka house and vineyard on Sunday afternoon.
Wanaka firefighters stopped that scrub fire, which came within 10m of the Studholme Rd house, after a fish-smoker ignited dry overgrown grass on a neighbouring property.
Wanaka Fire Brigade chief Steve Trevathan said he could not emphasise enough how extreme the fire risk had become after several days of hot dry weather.
The Studholme Rd fire was the second scrub blaze extinguished by Wanaka Fire Brigade members during the weekend.
They were also called to a fire on Plantation Rd alongside Lismore Park on Saturday -the second time in a week the brigade was called to that site.
The Lake Hawea fire brigade also attended a small vegetation fire at a rural property on Camphill Rd on Saturday evening.
Queenstown Lakes rural fire chief Gordon Bailey said fire risk levels across the district were "getting pretty extreme".
Queenstown has not had many callouts in comparison with Wanaka, he said.
Fire risk monitors have pointed to the existing dry and hot weather creating conditions which are comparable to those normally associated with the midsummer months of late January and February, he said.
"Everyone needs to be very cautious.
"We have had very little rain during the past six days and the hot temperatures have pushed the fire risk up."
Mr Bailey singled out the use of barbecues and mowers in rural locations as being particular situations which could lead to possible fires.
He is scheduled to meet Department of Conservation representatives to discuss the rising fire risk today.
In the Waitaki district the fire risk is extreme from south of Oamaru through inland areas.
Along the coast, from Oamaru inland to Kurow and north to the Pareora River, the risk is assessed as high.
In the Waimate district, inland areas are classed as a very high fire risk.
Fire authorities are hoping patches of rain predicted through until Thursday will help ease the danger.
